


Duck, Duck, Goose

by siriuslywinchester



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Facing Fears, Geese, M/M, fears, park
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 02:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3793840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuslywinchester/pseuds/siriuslywinchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marcus and Kevin attempt to feed the 'ducks' at the park.</p><p>Loosely based on the <a href="http://otpprompts.tumblr.com">OTP Prompt</a>:<br/><i>Imagine your OTP feeding the ducks at a local park. Person A has to coax Person B into doing it because Person B is a bit afraid of them.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Duck, Duck, Goose

Marcus had just finished his 5k run around the park when he spotted the tattooed Dane sat on a bench leaning backwards, staring up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly overhead and Kevin was making the most of it, dressed it grey camo-shorts and a beige vest top. Marcus was dripping with sweat, dressed in lycra running pants and a t-shirt, but he decided to go over and say hello.

Kevin looked up as Marcus jogged over, sliding backwards on the bench so that he was sat up properly. Marcus smiled, initially too out of breath to talk as he sat beside him.

"I can't believe you go for runs after races," Kevin said, his face showing how impressed he was with Marcus' commitment to fitness.

Marcus grinned, still trying to catch his breath.

"Still unfit," he wheezed between breaths, "Need to train harder."

"You looked like you were doing OK just then," Kevin smiled kindly, "Considering the heat, you made good time."

"Were you watching?" Marcus asked, not realising he'd had a spectator as he concentrated on maintaining his pace and forcing himself not to take a break to walk.

"I was sunbathing," Kevin replied, "And overheard you puffing and panting."

Kevin grinned again, a quiet breathy laugh emitting from his lips.

"I'm joking," he continued as Marcus' eyes showed a hint of horror at the thought of his out of control breathing, "I came to feed the ducks, actually."

The laugh burst from Marcus before he had a chance to stop it.

"Feed ducks?" he guffawed, eyebrows raised until a thought hit him, "Is that a euphemism? Are you trying to pick up women?" 

Kevin giggled and picked a plastic bag from the ground beneath the bench.

"Definitely not," he said, passing the bag to Marcus, "See. Bread for the ducks. It's relaxing and reminds me that beneath all the racing driver crap, I am still the kid that grew up by some duck ponds in Denmark."

Marcus glanced around, noting that there was a lack of ducks in the area around them.

"Your bread doesn't seem to have attracted many ducks?" he said.

"No. Just a Swede," Kevin said winking as he pushed himself up from the bench and pointed across the park, "The pond is over there. Want to join me?"

"OK, lets see what all the fuss is about," Marcus grinned at Kevin as he got to his feet.

They walked side by side across the grassy area that Marcus had been running around, cutting through a gap in the trees on the opposite edge to emerge in front of a large pond. Marcus had spent the walk worrying about had bad he must smell as the sweat began to dry on his skin and the inside of his t-shirt, but as he noticed the wildlife his mind began to panic about other problems.

There were _a lot_ of geese. Huge grey geese with bright orange beaks and beady black eyes that were honking and hissing at one another. They seemed to be the only 'ducks' that Marcus could see. No regular small ducks with pretty feathers. Just geese that came half way up Marcus' thighs, with wing spans that could waft him into the water if they wanted to.

"No," Marcus stopped abruptly, causing Kevin to spin around to see what was wrong, "I can't feed geese. This will not relax me."

Kevin could see the panic in Marcus' eyes and his breathing, that had returned to normal after a short rest on the bench, was quickening again. His eyes were darting in all directions, trying to see what all of the geese were doing, preparing him to run if need be.

"They won't hurt you, Marcus," Kevin said soothingly, "If you don't threaten them, they will just eat the bread and get on with what they're doing."

"They do hurt," he replied, backing away and wondering how to tell Kevin he'd rather just go back to the hotel and shower after all, "They hurt a lot."

"Look just take some bread and throw it away from you," Kevin said, pulling some bread out of the plastic bag.

Several of the geese turned their heads and began to waddle over to the pair of drivers. Marcus let out a high pitched squeal and prepared to run, but Kevin caught him by the arm and turned him around, forcing some bread into his hand.

"Just rip it into small pieces and throw it towards them," he said, demonstrating.

The bread landed just before the geese and the birds stopped to eat, looking back up at Kevin and Marcus to wait for more.

Marcus tore his strip of bread into pieces and threw them all at once. They scattered about in front of the geese who rushed to snatch pieces into their beaks. Marcus jumped as the geese moved and Kevin laughed at him.

"Relax," the Dane said, "You're three times the size of them, what are they going to do to you?"

"I was attacked by a goose once," Marcus replied, immediately feeling stupid as the words left his lips.

Kevin's eyes widened with concern, realising that Marcus probably had a good reason to fear the birds that were now beginning to circle around them, waiting for bread. He moved closer to the Swede, hoping that his presence would calm him a little. Neither of the men were particularly tall, but he was fairly certain he could take a goose on if one decided to attack.

Kevin passed Marcus more bread, deciding that now they were here, they should face his fear.

"Just keep feeding them," he said, "See, they're just eating the bread and waiting for more."

Kevin took a large piece of bread and leaned forward, holding it out for a goose to take it from his hand. He laughed as the goose nodded it's head forward nervously and pinched the bread from his fingers. He turned back to Marcus, smiling, but the other man had a look of horror on his face.

"Please don't make me do that," he said, tears forming in his eyes and his voice barely a whisper, "Please. I can't."

Marcus flung some of the bread over the heads of the geese so that they had to turn and waddle away to get the food. He threw more, each time he the bread went further away and his throws seemed more and more panicked.

Kevin decided that enough was enough and took Marcus by the arm and led him away from the pond, dropping the bag of bread into a rubbish bin as they passed it. They walked back through the gap in the trees, leaving the geese behind and began walking across the grass towards the exit gate of the park.

"Are you OK?" Kevin asked, glancing around to check that none of the geese were following him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you do that."

Marcus kept glancing nervously behind them, trying to quicken the pace at which they were walking. He didn't reply, his breathing loud and long as he tried to calm himself. Kevin guided them back to the bench and gently pushed Kevin down into a seated position, sitting beside him and placing an arm around the Swede's shoulder until he seemed to have calmed.

"Feel better now?" he asked, rubbing Marcus' back in what he hoped was calming movements, "The geese won't come this far out. You're safe now."

Marcus gulped, nodding as he moved his head to look up at Kevin and feeling stupid for how frightened he had been. He knew he had made a fool of himself in front of the Dane. He knew that Kevin had only come to the park to relax as he fed the ducks and he had ruined that for him.

"I'm sorry," Marcus mumbled, looking down at his hands which were still trembling slightly even though they were gripped tightly together in his lap, "I ruined it for you."

"It's fine," Kevin said kindly, wrapping his arm around Marcus' shoulder and pulling him into his chest, "I shouldn't have made you do that." 

He rubbed his hand soothingly up and down Marcus' arm, waiting for him to speak again. He didn't want to push him. Something terrible must have happened to cause this kind of fright.

Eventually Marcus broke the silence, still leaning into the Dane, feeling braver in his arms.

"I was only a kid when it happened," he began, the day clear in his mind, "About four years old. My _pappa_ took me to a park and there were Geese. He gave me bread and told me to feed them by hand, like you did."

Kevin watched as Marcus spoke, noticing the Swede's eyes glaze over as he remembered the day. He rubbed his arm lightly again, pulling him in closer and fearing the worst from the story.

"So I held out some bread and the goose came towards me. It ran so fast it knocked me over with its outstretched wings and as it snatched the bread it bit my finger so hard it bled."

Marcus absentmindedly rubbed at his finger, remembering the pain he had felt as a child. Remembering how he was scared that the Goose would peck at him and make him bleed all over.

"My Dad threw bread into the water and it went after that," Marcus continued, turning to face Kevin, who had dropped his arm and was patiently listening to the end of the story, "I've been afraid of geese ever since."

Kevin looked at the finger that Marcus was rubbing. It looked fine, no scars or markings and it was still a whole digit. He took Marcus' hand and lifted the finger to his lips, placing a delicate kiss on the knuckle. His cheeks flushed red as he did so, afraid that Marcus would snatch his hand away and think it was strange, but the Swede didn't stop him, even reddening slightly himself. 

"I promise I won't make you go near any geese again," Kevin said, holding the Swede's hand tightly in his own, "And I promise I will always carry bread so that if any come near you, we can fend them off!"

Marcus laughed shyly as he looked at Kevin who was smiling kindly at him, his eyes showing that he cared and wanted to protect him.

"Thank you," Marcus said, sliding his fingers between the Dane's so that their hands were locked together.

They sat in silence for a moment, neither daring to speak or question what had happened with the geese that had resulted in them openly holding hands on the park bench.

Marcus stared down at their hands clasped together, his eyes drawn in by the black design that spread up Kevin's arm. He stared at the image, rubbing circles on the back of Kevin's hand with his thumb as he secretly wished they could sit on the park bench forever, knowing that he had to shower and dine with his team that evening after ending the race in his best position yet.

It was Kevin that eventually broke the silence, slowly releasing Marcus' hand and getting to his feet as he glanced at his watch.

"I have to go meet up with my team," he said, his eyes filled with sadness at having to leave, "Are you going to be OK now?"

Marcus stood too, the feeling of Kevin's hand still tingling in his own.

"I'll be OK," he said, glancing back at the tattoo on Kevin's arm that stood out in deep black against the slight tan that the Dane had picked up in the sun. He looked up into Kevin's eyes and smiled, realising he'd never felt more safe than those last few moments, "I have a knight in tattooed arm to look after me."

**Author's Note:**

> (kinda based on my real life experiences, though fictional for the shipping and drivers involved)


End file.
